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651 series
The 651 series is a Japanese dual-voltage Limited Express electric multiple unit. Built from 1988 to 1992 for JR East, the 651 series was mainly used on the Akagi and Kusatsu Limited Express services, but now are mostly used for seasonal or additional workings. History The 651 series was designed in 1988 to replace aging 485 cars in addition to speeding up services on various lines. Nine four-car and nine seven-car sets were built, all by Kawasaki Heavy Industries at their Hyōgo Plant. The first cars entered service on 11 March 1989; however, by 16 March 2013 the entire fleet was put into storage and would be only used for seasonal services or additional workings. The sets are normally used in eleven-car formations, with a seven-car set coupled together with a four-car set. From 2014, a number of 651 series sets were converted to 651-1000 series sets to replace aging 185 series sets on Akagi and Kusatsu services. In 2016, set OM301 was converted to become a dedicated resort train. As of 2018, more and more 651 series sets are beginning to retire; however, there is no long-term plan to replace the 651 series sets. The 651 series is the recipient of the 1990 Blue Ribbon Award. ''Izu Craile'' This is a dedicated four-car set used on the Izu Craile resort service converted from set OM301. The set is designated IR01 and is used on the Itō Line; the set entered revenue service on 16 July 2016. Car 1 has window-facing counter seats on the seaward side, car 2 has a bar counter and a lounge, car 3 has "semi-open compartments" and car 4 has conventional unidirectional 2+2-abreast seating. The LED screen on the Izu Craile set is noticeably much smaller; instead, only the bottom of the LED screen is shown, which allows the end-of-train lights to be displayed. The word Craile is a portmanteau of the Italian word Cresciuto (meaning "mature"), train and the ''-ile'' suffix. Design The 651 series uses a somewhat streamlined design with a "sand gray" body with "olive green" accents. The 651-1000 series cars add an orange stripe to the bottom of the windows. The Izu Craile set uses a white body with light pink accents with light pink motifs on the car bodies. The Izu Craile set features light pink window surrounds, while the Izu Craile logo is seen splashed on the front of the cab car. Specifications Construction is of steel. Cars vary in length from 20.7 to 21.68 meters long. Traction motors are resistor controlled, which is somewhat odd for the time due to the variable frequency drive's presence. The 651 series have a large LED screen on the front of their cab cars. The 651-1000 series sets are modified from 651-0 series sets; most modifications to the sets were to equipment, such as disconnecting (but not removing) the AC equipment on the sets and the changing of the pantographs from PS26 lozenge-type pantographs to PS33D single-arm pantographs as used on the E233 series. An orange body stripe was also added below their windows. As their AC equipment has not been removed, the 651-1000 series sets technically can operate under both AC and DC power similarly to the 651-0 series, but there has been no recorded practice of the AC equipment being reconnected and as such, they are unable to run under AC power. A notable trait of the 651 series cars is their lack of physical end-of-train lights on the cab cars. Instead, two red rounded-corner rectangles would be projected at the bottom of the LED screen which adorns the front of the cab cars; this is more noticeable with the Izu Craile set. This trait is shared with the E351 series' non-gangwayed cab cars. The 651 series is equipped with an early version of a musical horn that is standard on most of JR East's Limited Express fleet. The musical horn is usually blasted when a set is about to depart, although a shorter version of the same horn is blasted on occasion; the musical horn on the 651 series is not heard as often as various other JR East Limited Express train sets, with the train's air horn being more commonly heard instead. This same musical horn is also present on the Izu Craile set. Trivia *Set K202 was dumped next to Haranomachi Station on the Jōban Line since the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami due to the suspension of the Hitachi 50 service at 3:09pm JST on that day. The set never re-entered service and was removed from the station's premises on 17 March 2016 and scrapped two days later on 19 March. References *Wikipedia.org Category:JR Group trains Category:Electric Trainsets Category:Kawasaki locomotives